This invention relates to the art of automatically baking a bakery product, wherein the bakery products are sequentially passed through a series of processing stations.
The large soft pretzel is currently being sold at sporting and other entertainment events, as well as in the more traditional small stands and restaurants. The pretzels are supplied to the vender in a raw and frozen form, and must be processed and baked before they are edible. Since such pretzels are most desirable when warm, portable pretzel baking machines have been developed which process the frozen pretzels into an edible form at concessionaire stands in stadiums, convention centers, or the like. Heretofore, however, such prior art machines have attempted to submerge the pretzels in the soda solution as a first step in their processing, which has caused delays in the processing, inefficient use of the soda solution, and frequently results in the pretzels floating off the racks and being wetted only on a lower surface portion thereof. This results in pretzels which are not properly browned, detracting from their appearance, and which are soggy from an excess of solution.
Additionally, prior art machines have used an arrangement of heating rods for baking which directly affect only the upper surface of the pretzels, resulting in finished pretzels which are slightly overbaked on the upper surface, and underbaked on the lower surface.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a baking apparatus wherein the baking of bakery products such as pretzels may be stopped and the bakery products recovered once processing is begun.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a baking apparatus which provides an improved means for quickly and uniformly salting the individual bakery products.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a baking apparatus wherein the initial processing of the bakery products may be accomplished without dipping the bakery products in a solution.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a baking apparatus wherein the bakery products are baked quickly and uniformly.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a baking apparatus wherein the individual bakery products are processed and ready to eat in a minimum amount of time.